Questions and (some) answers

The club's failure to do exactly that last season wound up being a killer. Key men here will be veteran center Brendan Morrison, a free-agent addition from the Vancouver Canucks, and rookie winger Bobby Ryan. Morrison, set to turn 33 on Friday, figures to be a very nice fit, as long as he can shake the effects of four surgeries in just more than two years, the latest an April 7 procedure to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. Ducks doctors have examined Morrison and liked what they saw, Burke said. Ryan, the second overall selection in the 2005 entry draft, had five goals and 10 points in 23 NHL games last season. The Ducks say he's ready for prime time, and they desperately need him to be. The only other even remotely legitimate options at this point are versatile veteran Todd Marchant, unproven Swedish left wing Joakim Lindstrom, who arrived in a July trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets, and NHL journeyman Eric Boguniecki, a free-agent addition.

3) How, and when, will the Ducks get beneath the salary cap?

More than $2 million above the NHL's $56.7 million ceiling, the Ducks will have to sacrifice somewhere. The consensus candidate to go, through absolutely no fault of his own, is Schneider, who carries a $5.625 million cap hit. While none are willing to give up more than a low-round draft choice to get him, multiple teams are interested in Schneider, but for the most part, they are clubs that are also chasing center Mats Sundin. The soap-opera-like saga of the erstwhile Maple Leafs captain, who can't seem to decide if or where he wants to play, will probably have to be resolved before the Ducks can make a move. Even with the potential subtraction of Schneider, the Ducks would still be slightly above the $53 million mark, which is probably higher than they would prefer, but likely the best they will be able to do.

2) Drum roll, please – Have we seen the last of No. 8?

While popular and prolific right wing Teemu Selanne, right, has been silent all summer, contradicting his statement at the end of last season that he expected to decide on his hockey future by July 1, there is good reason. With their salary-cap issues, the Ducks simply can't sign Selanne right now. Handcuffing the Ducks further is a bizarre wrinkle in the collective bargaining agreement between the NHL and its players union. In the past, teams have been able to sign players 35 and older to bonus-laden contracts, with any bonus money that pushed a club above the salary cap carrying over to the following season. The Players Association, however, has the right to reopen the CBA after this season, so unless the union commits to not doing so, which remains a strong possibility, any bonuses paid this season would count against this season's cap. The idea that Selanne is somehow being selfish or irresponsible in this scenario is preposterous. On the contrary, the Finnish Flash has done the Ducks the latest in a long line of favors with his patience. Had he demanded a contract earlier, or for big money, he could have had one long ago with any number of NHL teams. Selanne knows the Ducks' situation, and they know his. Burke received word last week from Selanne's agent, Don Baizley, that Selanne has begun a skating program in Finland. Once the Ducks are able to get far enough beneath the salary cap, we'll get an answer on Selanne. The smart money is that he'll be in the opening-night lineup.

1) Does this season mark the last best shot at another serious Stanley Cup run?

Neither Selanne nor Scott Niedermayer is getting any younger, and there is obviously no guarantee that either will be around after the coming season. Of veterans on the current roster, only Giguere, Pronger, Getzlaf, Perry, backup goalie Jonas Hiller, left wing Chris Kunitz and center Ryan Carter are signed beyond 2008-09. With that salary-cap commitment of less than $30 million, including the last of the buyout money due winger Todd Bertuzzi, the Ducks will have plenty of flexibility to re-make the team for 2009-10. That could mean new contracts for players such as Beauchemin, Huskins, Pahlsson, left wing Travis Moen and perhaps Morrison, or it could portend a significant re-tooling of the roster. Whether it is Burke or someone else calling those shots, the uncertainty going forward makes it incumbent upon the Ducks, and their fans, to cherish this season for the tremendous opportunity it offers.

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